Lost and Found Again
by Left Sharker
Summary: When the Dwarves are captured by the Elves in Mirkwood, one is left behind: Kili has been dragged off by the spiders and is left for dead. While Kili is forced to fight for his survival in the merciless forest, Fili is stuck in the Elves' prison and has to find a way to rescue his missing brother. The story may continue into the barrel escape and further.
1. Chapter 1

**'Sup, ladies and gentlemen! You can all call me Dweebo Ringlicker, because apparently that's my dirty Hobbit name. I will shout out to anyone who comments something that I like. Don't be afraid to give constructive criticism! Read, review, follow, favorite, do whatever! Just don't murder me. That would be mean.**

**All I ask is that you consider this story. :)**

**Beware: this book contains DoS spoilers.**

**Thanks and happy writing! x815**

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><p>"Quiet, all of you!"<p>

Thorin's shout echoed throughout the forest, silencing the group of bickering Dwarves. He looked around, heart hammering in his chest.

"We're being watched."

The Dwarves didn't seemed concerned with his words; the forest's illusional air had affected them more than Thorin would have liked.

At first nothing happened.

Then something caught his eye, sneaking up behind him. He reacted too late.

Thorin winced as something sharp pierced his side. A numbness swept over him, blurring his vision and dulling senses. He stumbled away, vaguely aware of the shouts and cries of the other Dwarves. Touching the spot that had been stuck, he realized that he wasn't bleeding. Instead of finding a red substance on his fingers, his hand came back blotched with a thick, black liquid.

Poison.

He took a clumsy step and keeled over, collapsing on the leaf-covered earth below him. Big black shapes hovered in sight, and he remembered some old tales and ghost stories that told of giant poisonous spiders.

Thorin choked and spluttered out a hoarse cough. So that's it, then. Giant spiders that live in the enchanted forest Mirkwood, coming to eat Thorin Oakenshield and Company.

What a failure of a quest.

He managed to croak out a faint laugh. Then the spider venom overtook him and he fell into unconsciousness.

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><p><strong>Duh duh DUH!<strong>

**For those of you who have seen DoS, you should recognize this. I hope. Don't worry if you don't, though.**

**I promise my next chapter will be longer. Actually, much, much longer.**

**Read, review, follow, favorite! Whatever!**

**Thanks and happy writing! x815**

**(a.k.a Dweebo Ringlicker)**


	2. Chapter 2

**'Sup, Hobbit fans! Here's the first real chapter of my story. Last chapter was kind of small, and I forgot to label it properly, so let's just call it a prologue, 'kay?**

**Thank you, ktikat131 and RascalKat! I honestly did not expect to find any reviews for my story, and you two made my day! I appreciate your comments so much :) thanks again and I hope you keep reading! I promise, this chapter will be better. **

**Read, review, follow, favorite, whatever! **

**Thanks and happy writing! x815**

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><p>Darkness.<p>

That was all Kili could remember. It was dark; it was painful. Numb, uncomfortable darkness.

His eyelids felt like they were glued shut. Somewhere along the way he realized he was no longer paralyzed, and he lifted a hand. His head spun and his limbs felt like noodles. Something white and adherent constrained him. Whatever had happened to get him in this sticky (pardon the pun) situation, he wasn't sure.

Someone gently jabbed him in the shoulder. "_Kili_."

Who was calling his name? He felt a hand shake his shoulder and with a jolt, he fully awoke. His eyes flew open and he gasped for breath, struggling to break himself out of the sticky white substance that was wrapped around his body.

A pair of hands helped him tear away the wrapping. He blinked in the daylight and saw Fili helping him, his hands quickly - somewhat frantically - pulling off the stuff.

With a lurch of his stomach, Kili realized that he had been wrapped in spider webs.

"Kili," his brother muttered, pulling him in a quick embrace. "You alright?"

"Just wonderful," Kili grumbled.

Fili grabbed his hand and pulled him up. The other Dwarves were hastily getting themselves out of the webs, but bits of the sticky stuff still clung to their clothes and hair. Kili looked at his own body and realized he was no better.

Something scuttled among the trees. Kili squinted, but his eyesight had become dull and his mind was sluggish, like he was still under the spell of the spider poison that had subdued him.

"Fili," he muttered, tugging at his brother's sleeve, but Fili didn't notice. Thorin, disgruntled and grouchy, was barking at the Dwarves. ". . . FIND the Hobbit, for Durin's sake! Look everywhere!"

"Hey, Fili," Kili said again.

". . . if we lose Bilbo, then we have no burglar!" Thorin hissed, but it almost sounded like he was talking to himself.

"Fili . . ."

The other Dwarves were calling Bilbo's name, spreading out to try and find the Hobbit. Kili couldn't help but feel like they were being watched by something. Whatever it was, it didn't seem friendly . . .

He rubbed his eyes. All his thoughts seemed to be floating in wet cement right now.

Had his mind been a bit sharper, he might have remembered the spiders.

"_I'm up here_!"

The Hobbit's voice rang through the trees, coming from up high in the canopy. The Dwarves quieted immediately, searching for where Bilbo's voice was coming from.

"I'm up -"

His voice was cut short by the angry shriek of an oncoming army of enormous spiders. They poured out from the wall of underbrush, curved fangs bared and black hair bristling. Kili reached back and notched an arrow in his bow. How he managed to not lose his weapons, he wasn't sure.

Fili pulled out his swords, then resolved to using only one. Kili was beside him, mindlessly shooting arrows into approaching spiders, but their number of opponents was growing to the point of almost being overwhelming.

"Grab a leg!"

"Thorin, I'll help you!"

"_Ori_! For Durin's sake, kill it!"

Fili slashed at a giant spider, one larger than any of the others. It flew forward in its momentum, knocking Fili off his feet and burying him under its massive limp body. The breath left his body in a soft _whoosh_.

Someone kicked the dead spider's carcass away. Fili blinked sweat and dirt out of his eyes and found himself being roughly hoisted up by Dwalin. He had no time to thank him, because almost immediately the old Dwarf was running in the other direction, taking on the next spider with only his fists.

"Fili, _help me_!"

He turned towards the sharp cry of his brother. Kili was just a few feet away, wrestling with a fat spider that was trying to pin him against the forest floor. His bow and sword had skittered out of reach during the fight.

Fili clambered over, ignoring the fact that he had twisted his ankle very painfully in his own battle. He lifted a sword and slashed it at the spider's behind. The giant creature screeched, turning towards him. Kili spat out a mixture of blood and dirt as the spider's foot struggled to gain a foothold on his face, which would have been amusing for Fili had it been a different situation.

With another stroke of his sword, he finished the beast off and helped Kili to his feet. "Behind you," Kili warned as he reached for his bow.

Fili turned just as a spider's fangs snapped in his face. He dived away and slashed at the hairy legs that were reaching forward to hold him. The spider was small and quick and managed to avoid Fili's attacks, darting this way and that. Fili shook his head and growled at his slowness of mind.

Behind him, the other Dwarves were shouting and letting out battle cries in their effort. They were seriously outnumbered.

_For Mahal's sake, can't we just have a break from danger?_

He heard a small yelp from Kili, who was right next to him.

Distracted by this, he reacted slightly late to the spider's next move. A hairy leg whipped out, knocking his sword from hand. Fili stumbled back, reaching for his other sword as the creature advanced. It sped forward on eight spindly legs like someone had turned it on speed mode - or, plainly, attack mode. Fangs snapped, eyes glittered. This had to have been the most horrid opponent any Dwarf had faced in the history of Durin.

With a small curse under his breath, Fili leaped away, narrowly missing a poison injection from the stinger, and yanked a knife from the sheath in his vambrace. He threw it forward and it embedded itself in the spider's neck. It released an ear-splitting screech and lurched away, body writhing. With a last effort, it charged him, spitting madly. Fili sidestepped and dug another knife into its skull. The beast collapsed and wriggled on the ground before slowly going limp, legs curling into its underbelly.

Fili looked down and saw spider blood splattered on his arms and hands. He wiped the disgusting stuff off on his armor.

"Come on, keep up!"

He heard his uncle's shout and moved to join him and the other Dwarves. With a lurch in his stomach, he remembered Kili's cry. Kili! He turned to face his brother and help him -

But Kili was not there.

Fili froze, staring at the empty spot where his brother had been standing not two minutes ago.

_He was right next to me._

"Kili?" he called tentatively, his voice pitch higher than usual. Silence.

He suddenly saw something moving among the trees; something very unlike a giant spider. A person, hair light blond, leaped from the highest branches of the canopy, sliding under the belly of one spider and slicing it along the way. He stood gracefully and notched an arrow in his bow, pointing it right at the face of Thorin.

Upon closer look, Fili realized it was an _Elf._

"Do not think I won't kill you, Dwarf," he said aloud to Thorin. Then, voice laced with mockery, he added, "It would be my pleasure."

Fili spun around, but more Elves were appearing from the wall of undergrowth, already poised. He saw an Elf warrior just a few feet away with the arrow pointed right at his heart.

"Search them," the blond Elf - undoubtedly the leader - ordered to his comrades.

Kili was still nowhere in sight. "Thorin," Fili called to his uncle. He meant for him to know that one of his Company was missing. But one of the Elves pulled him away and began to search through his vest, plucking out knife after knife.

Fili felt overwhelmed with worry. He could only imagine that the spiders had taken Kili - did he not protect his brother enough? Had could he have not noticed?

Of course the spiders had taken Kili. And Fili had done nothing.

He barely noticed as the Elf disarmed him, tossing his large collection of weapons into a pile on the leaf-covered ground. All he wanted to was to go out and find Kili. If he began to look soon, he'd have a hundred times better chance of success.

The moment the Elf took his last knife, he turned and peered at the treeline, eyes searching for movement. Even if it was only a spider, at least there would be hope. He could follow those foul creatures to their nest, and maybe he'd find Kili there . . .

The leaves rustled.

It was the last of the spiders; they were retreating back into the forest, eyes gleaming with hatred. They were reluctant to admit defeat, but they would not risk their lives for a pack of smelly Dwarves, especially when Elves were around. Food would have to be found elsewhere.

Fili noticed the spiders among the trees. He just needed to know if they had his brother. "Kili?" he shouted, moving forward. "Kili!"

A hand on his shoulder roughly yanked him back. He looked up and found himself looking into the face of a she-Elf with dark red hair, eyes narrowed with mistrust. Her gaze held no sympathy.

"What's wrong with this one?" asked the blond, striding over. Fili felt small under the stare of these two menacing Elves.

"Nothing, Legolas," the she-Elf said, eyes never leaving Fili's. "Just get him back with the others."

Legolas raised an eyebrow and steered the young Dwarf away from the treeline (and away from Kili) to where the others were being held.

The Elves binded their hands and began pushing them into single file. Fili felt anger rising; Thorin was right about Elves. They were no better than he had described. How could they feel they had the right to capture any unwary travellers that happened to be passing through their forest? What kind of a people did that?

And his brother was lost.

He bit his tongue. He realized that Bilbo was still nowhere to be seen; hopefully he had not been taken by the spiders as well. Or maybe . . . maybe Bilbo would find Kili . . . ?

No. He couldn't depend on the Hobbit; the chance of it was slim at best.

Fili tried breaking out of his bonds. The rope was, of course, Elven; even the strongest Dwarf wouldn't be able to snap it. He winced as it rubbed against his skin, making his wrists turn red and irritated. The she-Elf hadn't taken too much care while tying him - the rope was much tighter than neccessary. Somehow Fili felt like that wasn't completely unintentional.

His mind drifted until they reached the Elven gate, a narrow bridge that led to tall white doors. The Elves herded them inside and immediately brought the Dwarves to their cells. Fili was about to be locked inside his own when the Elf grabbed his arm, reached into his vest, and pulled out one more knife.

He let out a growl of exasperation. That was his last knife; one he kept specially concealed.

The Elf kicked him inside, and the cell door clanged shut with a _click_ of the lock that made him flinch.

He paced in his cell as the Elves began to disappear down the halls, clenching and unclenching his fists. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Thorin being brought away by a pair of Elf guards, headed for Mahal-knows-what. Surely, they wouldn't kill him . . . although the thought of his uncle being executed by Elves made Fili uncomfortable with the situation.

Though, surely, not _all_ Elves were heartless.

He saw the blond Elf, Legolas, walking down the hall. As he passed, Fili made a quick decision. He wouldn't be able to save his brother from this cell, but maybe one of the Elves could.

It was probably the dumbest choices he had ever made. But he had to try.

"Hey," he called, holding the bars. "You left one Dwarf behind."

The Elf stopped and turned, eyes cold. "What do mean by that?" he asked suspiciously.

Fili swallowed. "You left my brother behind, back at the spider's lair."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"He's my brother. He's younger than me. 'Got a bow and arrow, and dark hair, and he's not old enough to have a beard yet -"

"I don't care," said Legolas, and he turned to leave.

"Can't you just _look_ for him? For Mahal's sake, he's barely old enough to protect himself and he's certainly not strong enough to defend himself against giant spiders -"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Legolas repeated flatly. Then he promptly turned and disappeared around a bend, leaving Fili with a new knot of dread in his stomach and even less hope than before.

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><p><strong>Poor Fili. I feel you, man. (Well, if my sister got lost in a forest, I'd be shouting with joy. But let's not talk about that, shall we?)<strong>

**The next chapter is going to ****_really _****get exciting. I hope you all like! I really enjoy writing this, so I hope you feel the same about reading it. **

**Read, write, follow, favorite, whatever :)**

**Thanks and happy writing! x815**


	3. Chapter 3

**'Sup, readers! Here's the third chapter! **

**Read, review, follow, fav, whatever :)**

**x815**

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><p>Kili ran. He ran and fought numbly - stabbing, tripping, catching himself, stumbling through the dead undergrowth as his pursuers scuttled after him. He didn't think - he just did.<p>

His mind was set one just one thing, just one task: to survive.

He clutched his bow in one hand and fought with his sword in the other. His quiver full of arrows had been lost long ago, but he couldn't bear to leave his bow behind. Fili had helped carve it in the forge that Thorin had worked in. The bow was the last piece of Fili he had left.

He also had his mother's runestone, tucked safely in his pocket.

He couldn't have been less than a mile from the spider's lair. They had dragged him off in the middle of battle, most likely as a last resort. He'd make a puny meal, but a meal wasn't what the spiders wanted; they hungered for revenge. They wanted that insufferable pack of Dwarves to pay.

Kili shook his head at the hopelessness of his predicament at the moment. He was lost. Terribly lost. And he still hadn't escaped the spiders.

One of the hairy creatures shot forward with a piercing screech. Kili slid and stabbed at its underbelly, narrowly missing a fang in the face. He stood, slashing his way forward without a thought to whether or not he had completely finished his last victim.

Kili felt his energy slowly waning. His arm shook from the effort of lifting his sword over and over, his breath labored and choppy. It must have been the aftereffects of the spider's poison.

He lifted his sword, knocking a spider out of the air. A stinger scraped his arm and he let out a quiet yelp in pain, falling to his knees. The spiders suddenly stopped - twenty pairs of gleaming eyes watched him, waiting.

The spider fang had drawn blood from his arm, creating a long, thin gash running from the crook of his right elbow down to the palm of his hand. Something other than blood was seeping from the wound as well; a dark pus-like substance that clotted at the surface of the gash and mingled with the blood. Spider poison.

The world spun and the trees swayed. He blinked tears away - or was that blood in his eyes? He wasn't sure. Everything was strange.

He used his sword to pull himself to his feet, but the ground was no longer a floor of leaves and dirt. It was a carpet of writhing bodies; bits of webs clung to their faces and hands. Dwarves, Elves, Men, and even animals lay on the ground, their gaping mouths stretched wide open as they let out a horrific chorus of wailing and begging and shrieking all at the same time -

A human girl, her eyes bulging in their sockets, crawled forward to where Kili stood shaking like a leaf. She reached out a bony hand and clawed at his legs, scratching his ankles with her long, mud-caked nails and trying to pull him to the ground. He kicked the girl's hand away and stumbled through the nightmarish crowd.

Kili blinked. The dead bodies disappeared, their wailing silenced all at once. The forest was back, and so were the spiders. He was almost relieved to see those hairy beasts again.

The poison was already causing him hallucinations. _Just delightful_, he thought.

They were still waiting in the trees, watching his every move. The fact that they we're no longer attacking him was the most unnerving part. He teetered through the foliage, tripping over his own feet. How long would he last? A few more minutes? He'd be lucky to have an hour.

A falling leaf before him bloomed to the size of a shield. The blood on his arm was no longer blood; it was a steady flow of tiny red spiders, crawling up his forearm, dripping from his fingers and onto the ground. Kili frantically tried to wipe them off, but each touch made the pain in his wound radiate even more.

Up ahead, Thorin stepped into view from behind a tree. His face was smudged with the grease that used to cling to him whenever he worked at the forges back in Ered Luin. "Giant spiders have a special liking for Dwarfling meat," he said casually, like he was reading aloud from a very cruel children's book.

Thorin's face changed. Now he was the human boy Inghard, the one that used to bully small Dwarflings back in Ered Luin. Kili felt like a child again when he saws Inghard's face here in the forest. Even though Kili had grown since the last time they saw each other, Inghard still towered above him. He stormed forward, his face twisted in anger. "You," he growled. "You left me! You let the enemy take me!"

Kili opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Inghard changed. Fili was now before him instead. He stood in a clearing, blond hair gleaming under the rays of sunlight that shone through the thick canopy.

"You let the enemy take me," he repeated.

Kili found his voice. "You're just a hallucination."

Fili was busily wiping some sort of material off of his arms and clothes. Kili realized that his brother was covered in dried blood and cobwebs, and he felt nausea rising to his mouth.

The fair-haired Dwarf snickered. "I'm right here, brother. Won't you come help me?"

Did he need help? Kili wanted to comfort his older brother badly, but he was hesitant.

_This is a hallucination_, he reminded himself.

He turned away to run. The _real_ Fili could be in trouble. He stopped short when the false brother spoke again.

Fili was now openly bleeding; it trickled from his nose and from the scrapes on his skin. His hair was matted with it, and an arrow protruded from his thigh. He spread out his arms, like he was making a welcoming gesture. "Come here, Kili. _Help me_."

He made a move forward.

Within a nanosecond, Fili shapeshifted into something much different. Azog the Defiler took his place among the trees. The orc roared in Kili's face, making his blood turned cold -

Then Azog turned into a spider. A _real_ spider.

Kili felt the sharp point of the spider's stinger stab his abdomen.

His vision began to fade.

Between the dancing spots and blurry sight, Kili could see the spiders retreating back into the foliage. They had gotten what they wanted - revenge against Dwarves.

Kili curled up in the tall, fat roots at the base of the tree. In seconds, his eyes rolled up in his head and he was consumed by the dark.

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><p><strong>Oh my gawd! Creepy hallucinations, right? <strong>

**I hope you didn't get scarred reading this. Please don't murder me.**

**Thanks and happy writing! x815**


	4. Chapter 4

**'Sup, readers! Here's chapter four, more excitement! Sorry it took me a bit to write this.**

**Dear RascalKat: in response, I must say that I was thinking of Caesar Flickerman in the Hunger Games while writing last chapter. Katniss's hallucinations did sort of encourage it.**

**Well, I hope you like! Please tell me if you do!**

**x815 **

**-Dweebo R.**

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><p>Fili paced his cell impatiently. He reckoned it was evening by now, when the sun was nearing its setting time. Thorin still wasn't back from wherever the Elves had taken him . . . Fili was deeply concerned by this. They wouldn't kill him. They wouldn't.<p>

Thorin, Kili, and Bilbo missing.

He paced, sat down on the cold stone floor, then got up and paced again. He hated this. Hated it. Being stuck in a prison and unable to help. Fear gripped his heart like a fist, and he was beginning to feel the weight of all his troubles. How could everything be so terribly wrong?

Fili put his hands on the bars of his cell door. The corridors were empty except for the occasional Elf guard that would come by to check on the captives. Most of the other Dwarves were sleeping, their snores so loud that they almost drowned out the soft trickling sound of the nearby waterfall. He wished he could sleep like them. He was much too restless at the moment.

He stepped away from the bars and shuffled around some more.

"I can hear you pacing, lad," said Dwalin, who was in the cell next to Fili's. "For the love of Durin, get some sleep."

Fili was too distressed to answer.

"I know Kili's missing. I'm not a fool."

Fili's shoulders drooped. "He's probably dead."

"You doubt his skills, then?" Dwalin replied. "I think he's got more fight in him than you give him credit for."

"He's a dimwit."

"He's a warrior, too."

Fili knew the old Dwarf was trying to comfort him. He didn't want comfort.

"Just get some rest, lad."

Fili opened his mouth to make a sharp retort, but the sound of footsteps coming down the passage stopped him. He leaned against the cell door, craning his neck.

Relief flooded him when he saw who it was. "Thorin!" he exclaimed.

Thorin was being escorted down the narrow pathway by two Elf guards. One took him by the arm and tossed him into one of the last available cells, jangling the keys tauntingly as they left. Fili wanted to ask what had happened, but he was too far away.

Murmuring arose from the other Dwarves. They were relieved that Thorin was back, but their problems were long from being solved. They had all noticed the absence of Kili, including Thorin himself. And unless Bilbo had managed to elude the spiders and sneak his way into the Elven halls, the likeliness of escaping and continuing their journey was slim at best.

In short, they were still doomed for the time being.

Fili didn't realize this. He felt more confident with his uncle around. Thorin always had a plan, didn't he? An opportunity to escape would probably show up sooner or later, and maybe the Hobbit would have part to play. Fili felt his adrenaline pumping as he began to form an imaginary plan in his head. If they escaped, they could find the spider's lair and look for Kili. The Elves would be fools if they were so intent on capturing the Dwarves that they felt the need to follow them into the spider's lair. What would their objective be, anyway?

The halls darkened as the sun set in the twilight sky. Fili sat against the stone wall and finally gave into sleep.

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><p>The moon light was bright enough to shine through the forest's canopy and upon the leave-covered ground, turning it a soft silvery color. Tauriel squatted down and touched the spider tracks that lay before her. The nest was near. She had hardly ever gone this far into the lair, but something had to be done; the spiders were getting bolder with each passing day. She feared that some of them had come from Dol Guldur, the old abandoned fortress that now lay in ruins. But that was beyond the borders of the Greenwood, and Lord Thranduil had forbidden it.<p>

She ran silently, thinking about Dwarves. She assumed they had been travelling along the Elven Road, but they would have had to have gotten absurdly lost to have winded up in the spider's lair. Sometimes she wondered if they really had brains in those thick skulls of theirs.

Tauriel stopped as she sensed the presence of someone else behind her. She touched the hilt of her sword, ready to jump into a fight, but a familiar voice caught her off guard. "Tauriel?"

She spun around and relaxed her shoulders. "Legolas."

He had his bow and knives, like he had the same idea in mind. He strode forward. "You are missing the feast."

"So are you," she replied, eyeing him with a faint smile on her lips. "Have you come to hunt spiders as well?"

"Something of that sort," he answered with a playful tone, but his eyes betrayed him. There was another thing that was bothering him.

Tauriel frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." His voice was terse.

She decided not to push it any farther; clearly he wasn't willing to tell her what was on his mind. Changing the subject, she asked, "How long do you think the feast will last?"

He grinned. "All night, at the very least. My father will expect no less."

She laughed out loud. Then, remembering the reason she was out here, she turned and looked beyond the trees. "If we are to reach the spiders, we should hurry. We do not have long before the sun rises."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, we should destroy the spider's nest as quickly as possible."

Tauriel somehow found that to be an odd response, but she made no mention of it.

They ran light and swift, occasionally climbing trees to look ahead or clearing the trees of spider webs if an area seemed too thick with it.

Legolas couldn't help but glance over at Tauriel once in a while. She was beautiful even amidst a dying forest; her long red hair seemed to glow in the moonlight, and her eyes were sparkling with determination. He often thought about their relationship, how they had started as troublesome friends that went off on daring adventures as naïve Elflings. Now he thought they were more than just friends. He didn't care for the fact that she was only a Captain of the Guard, and that she was too low for him. None of that mattered.

He had never held any secret back from her. He would never wish it upon her to feel shut out or unwelcome. But this was different; he didn't want her to disapprove. He certainly didn't want their friendship to weaken.

"I sense we are near," Tauriel declared, peering into the distance. Legolas thought so as well; the webs had thickened considerably, almost to the point of making it impassable.

Something passed over them, blocking the moonlight. Legolas pulled Tauriel into a thicket of leaves, gesturing to above them.

A huge spider as large as an Eagle crawled from the shadows, as silent as the wind. Legolas began to hear the hiss of other spiders approaching, their fangs clicking and clattering in excitement. He noticed that they were dragging along figures wrapped in webs, animals that had fallen victim to their last hunt.

When the parade of spiders had passed, Legolas leaned in to whisper to Tauriel. "We should not make ourselves known immediately," he said. "There are too many to take down if we attack them by -"

He stopped in mid-sentence, eyes fixed on something in the foliage ahead. "Legolas?" Tauriel whispered nervously. "Is something the matter . . . ?"

She followed his gaze to a spot in the bushes, but she could not see anything from where she was positioned. "What do you see?" she asked him in a gentle undertone.

Legolas's face changed expressions in a split-second. He blinked, immediately straightening his manner. "I see nothing." He glanced at Tauriel's disbelieving face. "Come, we should form a plan quickly."

"Tell me what's going on first," she insisted.

"It is not your concern," he snapped back, but he deeply regretted it a moment later. She lowered her eyes, clearly stung by his words.

He tried again with a more gentle tone. "You shouldn't worry yourself. I assure you, there is nothing going on."

She met his eyes. "Is that the truth?"

Legolas sucked in a breath, but he answered with as little hesitation as he could. "You can trust me, Tauriel."

She said nothing for a moment, then shook herself. "Yes. We shouldn't waste time. Do you have a plan, Legolas?"

He nodded. "I think we should draw them out and kill them while they're vulnerable. Then we can destroy the nest."

Tauriel pursed her lips. "We must be careful not to attract attention to ourselves."

"We won't." Legolas reached behind his back and took an arrow from his quiver. "Let's go."

The moon had just begun its descent as the two Elves split up, ready to begin stage one of their plan. Legolas knew what do.

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><p><strong>You like?<strong>

**Dwarf angst, Elf secrets, ahhhh! **

**Read, review, follow, favorite, whatever :D**

**Thanks and happy writing! x815**


	5. Chapter 5

**GUESS WHO FINALLY UPDATED.**

**GUESS WHO FINALLY FREAKIN UPDATED.**

**Yup that's right. I haven't updated in literally over half a year. I know, I know, it's beyond ridiculous. You're totally welcome to beat me over the head with a flagpole. I owe you all so much and I'm really really sorry. **

**I hope this chapter can make up for it a little :)**

**(Btw, I changed my name since my last update so I may seem unfamiliar to you but I promise you it's the same me.)**

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><p>Sleep wasn't a sanctuary.<p>

When Fili drifted off, he was convinced that it would be better than consciousness. Consciousness only allowed anxiety and dread to come from the corners of his mind and eat away at him. But he was terribly wrong. Sleep took all that anxiety and dread and multiplied it by a hundred, but unlike when he was awake, he couldn't control it. Dreams raided his mind, forging horrifying images that were embedded into his brain no matter how hard he tried to get rid of them. Sleep only made him desperately want to be awake again.

When he was finally awakened, he felt a short moment of relief, but it was quickly washed away by the realization that he was still in his cell. He was slumped against the wall in the corner with his arms folded, eyes barely able to make out the iron bars of the door in the weak light. It was difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in. He wiped his sweaty hands on his clothes and pulled himself to his feet, listening to his surroundings. The other Dwarves were silent, probably dozing, and from the lack of light outside Fili assumed it was nighttime.

He leaned against the back wall as the memories of his dreams haunted him. They were all about Kili. The bloody, horrifying things he had dreamed seemed to be stuck in his mind permanently. What Fili feared most was that some of the images he saw may not even be false - he had no way of knowing what was happening to his brother at this moment.

Fili now regretted pushing away Dwalin's words of comfort earlier, and wanted someone to talk to. He needed some sort of reassurance that they were going to get out of this damn prison and rescue Kili and leave all these Elves and spiders in the dust. Being stuck in a small, confined space didn't suit a Dwarf. And it was worse when that Dwarf's brother was missing.

Fili heard Balin and Thorin's low voices conversing quietly down the hall through the walls of their cells. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was slightly uplifting to know that they were communicating. He assumed they couldn't have been discussing anything other than planning - maybe some bargain with the Elves, or an escape route out of prison.

He wondered if Thorin knew where Bilbo was.

Fili wasn't sure why he even doubted the Hobbit anymore - Bilbo had gotten lost, left behind, or stuck in seemingly hopeless situations countless times, and always ended up alive and well. Fili knew Bilbo wasn't invincible, but at this point it seemed ridiculous that he couldn't survive something that the Dwarves had, especially since he had been the one to get the Dwarves out of practically all of their plights.

As Fili rested his head on the wall, his eyes spotted something that he hadn't noticed before:

Tally marks.

He stepped back to get a better view. He realized almost the entire wall was covered in them - hundreds and hundreds of tally marks engraved into the stone, probably by rock or some other sharp object. The person in the cell before Fili had recorded the days he'd spent here.

The tally marks started at the top of the wall and continued down, stretching from corner to corner, until it stopped about a foot from the ground. There were hundreds and hundreds of them, and Fili wondered if the person had been let out or had just given up. Strangely, the latter seemed more likely.

Fili felt nausea rising. The cell walls suddenly seemed to shrink around him, sucking the air right out of his lungs. He stumbled to the cell door and steadied himself against the bars, breathing shallow and feeling lightheaded. He needed to get out of this cell. He needed to find Kili. He needed to leave this forsaken forest.

The other Dwarves snored on like they didn't have a care in the world.

Fili wanted to scream, kick the door down, maybe stab an Elf in its stupid face. He didn't though. He took a deep breath and let his brief panic attack pass. His head stopped pounding and he heartbeat went back to normal.

He stepped away from the door, eyes avoiding the tally marks. How did the other Dwarves do it? he wondered. They seemed to handle everything so well. Then again, they weren't responsible for a little brother . . . but still.

He missed the days when he never even gave a second thought to Kili's safety. It would have been nice to go back to simpler times.

* * *

><p>"Thorin," the voice of Balin murmured through the cell wall. Thorin lifted his head and listened. "Thorin, are you awake?"<p>

"I'm here," he answered quietly. The Elves were having some sort of celebration or feast far in the distance; their voices and laughter could be heard even here in the dungeons. He would have liked nothing more than to block out the sound of their celebrating. He hated them.

"Thorin," Balin said, "I assume you're aware that . . ." He didn't finish his sentence.

"Yes." Thorin muttered, his stomach knotting. "I know."

He was definitely aware that Kili was no longer among them.

Balin sighed mournfully. "Poor lad," he whispered.

Thorin closed his eyes and exhaled. Losing a member of the company was already hard to bear. But losing one's nephew . . .

"I don't suppose there's any chance for him, is there?" said Balin heavily, his voice barely loud enough to be heard through the wall. "Not even the strongest Dwarf would make it. Not in Mirkwood."

Thorin picked up a rock from the ground beside him and clenched his fist around it, tempted to throw it at the door. It wouldn't be enough to make him feel better, but nothing in this cell would. He wanted to blame the Elves for this. He wanted to make them pay for all that had happened, even if it wasn't totally fair. If that didn't give him some satisfaction, nothing would.

"We need to keep an eye on Fili," Thorin muttered through the wall. "Make sure he doesn't do anything reckless or foolish." Thorin didn't know how Fili was handling the situation, and that was what made him uneasy.

"You can try," Balin responded. "I'm afraid that might be difficult while we're still here in this dungeon. Unless you know a way to communicate from across ten cells . . ."

* * *

><p>The sun was still far from rising by the time Legolas and Tauriel had finished their work with the spider nest. They had killed most of the spiders, but a few had escaped and fled towards the borders. Legolas knew the spiders would be back, but their work hadn't been for nothing: the lair was already mostly destroyed, and there were no more spiders to be found hiding in it.<p>

Legolas saw Tauriel balancing on the limb of a tree, slicing apart a large clump of webs. The webs fell in chunks to the leaf-covered ground, leaving the forest looking more like a forest and less like a death trap.

"The nest is in ruins," Legolas called as Tauriel leaped from the tree branch and landed lightly before Legolas. "I don't think the spiders will return here for a long time. My father will be pleased."

"For now he will," she said. "If your father allowed it, we could destroy the spiders once and for all at Dol Guldur -"

"I wouldn't advise going against his will," Legolas warned her. "I too want to destroy their lair at Dol Guldur, but it is not worth risking punishment from the King."

Tauriel nodded, looking around at what used to be the heart of the spider's lair. "We should go back," she said, changing the subject. "The sun will rise in a few hours."

Legolas remembered his true mission for coming out in the first place. True, destroying the nest had been an aim of his, but his primary objective was far more secretive. His stomach knotted with discomfort. "You may go," he told Tauriel. "Head back to the Elven Halls. I think I will stay here for a bit longer and make sure our work is finished."

Tauriel cocked her head in confusion. "But I don't understand. It _is_ finished -"

"I would like to check it again," Legolas said quickly. "I want to be sure that we did not miss anything."

Tauriel stared at him with a look of disbelief. Lying, Legolas knew, was not one of his strong suits. "Do you want me to stay with you?" she asked uncertainly.

"There's no need for that. You should go back - I'm sure the Feast is still taking place."

Tauriel's expression held a mixture of confusion and suspicion, but if she had any doubts, she didn't speak them aloud. "Be sure to return before dawn," she told him instead.

"I will," Legolas said, giving her a reassuring nod. He turned and started on his way through the forest, looking back to make sure Tauriel wasn't following him. He knew she probably wanted to, but she instead started heading in the opposite direction like she was told. Legolas was relieved.

Once Tauriel was far away, Legolas changed course. There was no point in checking the nest; he knew he and Tauriel had done a well enough job of destroying it. That wasn't his purpose. He instead started jogging back to the outskirts of the lair, where he and Tauriel had first started from.

He remembered what he had seen there. He prayed it was still in the same place.

Judging by the stars, he calculated it was around 3 in the morning, maybe a little later. That gave him about three hours. Legolas ran faster, pushing himself to a sprint that made the underbrush around him turn to a blur. Three hours was not long enough - he had no time to spare.

He neared his destination quickly, slowing to a stop as he found the exact place he and Tauriel had been. He walked quietly to the tree where he had found _it,_ peering hopefully around a bush.

It wasn't there.

Legolas cursed. _It_ was gone. _Why did I even bother to look for it in the first place?_ he thought angrily to himself, but quickly pushed that negative thought out of his mind. He supposed he could track it, although that would take twice as long, and he was sure he didn't have enough time for that.

Legolas thought for a moment, considering his options. He could turn around and save his search for another day, which would most likely slim down the chances of him finding it at all. Or, he could continue now, and risk returning past dawn.

After some hesitation, he make his decision: he was going to risk it.

Legolas began to look around for a trail - anything that he could follow. He stood by the tree and examined the forest floor for some sort of sign.

There, a few feet away, he saw a sign.

It was barely visible and at least a few hours old, but still, it was something to start with. Legolas crouched before it, tracing it with his finger. Even under all the leaves, it was most definitely there: the unmistakable outline of a Dwarf's boot print.

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, sorry for being an idiot and taking over half a year to update. I hope not all of you lost your faith in me, even if I don't deserve it :)<strong>

**(Oh and I apologize if there are any mistakes. This chapter took about four hours to write and I sped through it rather quickly since I was so frantic to update not a moment later than necessary. Please excuse any grammar, spelling, or other errors.)**

**Thanks and happy writing!**

**CG**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the chappie. Yeah I know I updated the last chapter like, yesterday. Guess I'm trying to make up for that big gap . . . you know, ****_that_**** one.**

**Sorry for mistakes. Once again, I wrote this one extremely fast. I'd just like to announce, since I haven't already, that this story is not beta'd, so I apologize if there's any funny errors in the writing overall.**

**I also tried to make it longer since I've been rather disappointed in how short the other chapters were (I tend to write very long chapters in most of my other stories), but it still seemed to turn out about the same length. Oh well. Hope you like anyways :)**

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><p>Why wasn't he dead yet? He should have died already.<p>

Venom had been coursing through Kili's bloodstream for some time now. Had his will to live been any weaker, his body probably would have already shut down. At this point he was just waiting for the hour where he gave in to the temptation.

After his last encounter with the spiders - after he had received his most recent measure of poison - he'd been lying unconscious in the roots at the base of a tree for several hours. When he had woken up, he was too exhausted to move at all, so he stayed there until night fell, slipping in and out of restless and painful sleep.

Questions crowded his mind, but the effects of the venom made him mostly too slow to separate them from one another. He didn't know when the spiders were going to return, or if they were going to return. He didn't know what had happened to Thorin or Fili or the other Dwarves. He didn't know how long he had. All he could process from the assortment of vague thoughts in his head was that he was in Mirkwood, his company had been attacked by spiders, and he was alone with an overdose of spider poison in his blood.

It was just after Kili had woken up from a brief fit of sleep that he saw something new:

Just beyond the bushes that concealed him was a pair of eyes looking straight at him.

Kili might have jumped if his body were in the state to allow it. The eyes were cold blue, piercing Kili's own as if they could see right into his soul. He held the gaze, looking back at the pair of eyes almost challengingly. _Come and get me if you want_, he wanted to taunt them.

The eyes looked away as if distracted by something else. It was then that Kili realized they were a pair of Elf eyes. Elves lived in Mirkwood, of course. Underneath his grogginess, he felt a cold dread as he remembered that the Elves would want to kill him. Would want to kill his friends.

This Elf, however, hadn't killed him yet. Why hadn't the Elf killed him yet?

There was a burst of movement from where the eyes had come from, and the tall, slender figures of two Elves stood from the underbrush. Kili watched them, holding his breath, as they moved past him, running through the trees ahead of him and eventually disappearing. He had not been spotted, except for the eyes that had seen him earlier. He still wondered why they had chose to leave him alone, but he knew it wasn't important enough to think too much of. And he knew they could still be a danger to him.

About a minute after the Elves left, Kili decided that he needed to move to a different place. It was risky - he didn't know how much strength he had, and he had no idea where the spiders had gone to. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a choice for him; the Elves might return to this place.

He gathered every bit of energy left in him and used it to sit upright, allowing himself one short moan of pain. Every fiber of his body protested as he pulled himself into a dangerously unstable standing position, leaning heavily against the tree, and his head was pounding so hard that he thought he might pass out. The wave of lightheadedness eventually passed and he inhaled a long draw of air, trying to steady his breathing.

His toxin-suffused body was in no state to be doing this.

He took one step forward. Another. As long as he had his bow slung over his shoulder and his sword safely sheathed, there was no reason he couldn't defend himself. Or so he kept saying.

After ten minutes of staggering through the forest, he buckled against a vine-covered tree. His body couldn't take it anymore, no matter how much he willed himself to keep going.

That was it. He was done.

He must have slipped into unconsciousness for a moment or two, because when he was suddenly jolted awake, it was by a ear-splitting screech that filled the forest. He realized it was the scream of a spider, a strangled death cry. It was followed by more shrieks, turning Kili's blood cold.

He had two choices: hide or run. Neither seemed very appealing at the moment.

Growling under his breath, he grabbed the side of the tree and hauled himself up once again. He impetuously began moving forward without taking a moment to collect himself, spurred forward only by adrenaline.

Exhaustion warped his thoughts. Just one more step. One more. One more.

More spiders let out cries. He saw one scuttle by overhead, but it took no heed of him and kept dashing like it were being chased by a Nazgûl. It seemed as if all the spiders in Mirkwood were being flushed out . . .

Kili suddenly collapsed. Not from exhaustion or lack of air or inability to move -

From pain.

Pain spiked through his body like a lightning bolt. It was everywhere. He felt it in his head and feet and arms and chest and torso, like a living thing inside of him. The pain was so sudden, so swift, that Kili almost wasn't sure what had triggered it. Then, as he twisted on the ground, it dawned on him with ice-cold terror.

Detoxification had begun.

* * *

><p>Legolas found tracking the Dwarf to be much harder than he had expected. The trail had been mostly ruined by spiders and the destruction of the nest, causing him to have to double back several times and relocate it. He searched and searched for hours, brushing the rust off of his tracking skills and eventually losing sense of time.<p>

When Legolas had finally managed to start following a solid trail, it was already past 6 in the morning. He cursed, realizing that he hadn't left himself any time to start his journey back to the Elven Halls. He turned immediately and started jogging back towards the gates as the sun was starting its ascent.

It was already light by the time he reached the gates, casting beams of sunshine against the tall doors. He ran across the bridge, ignoring the guard's surprised "my lord!" as he passed through the entrance. He was late and he knew it. He supposed he was lucky, in a way, that the Feast had taken place last night, since the majority of the Elves were most likely sleeping through the morning in a post-celebration hangover.

Just as he entered the Halls, he was met by a very upset-looking Tauriel, and his stomach rolled with discomfort. "Where were you?" she demanded immediately, eyes boring into him like spears.

Strangely, Legolas found it difficult to look her straight in the face. "There were still spiders lurking in the outskirts of the lair," he said in an attempt to save himself.

Tauriel stepped forward, eyes unblinking. "You are a terrible liar," she told him. To Legolas, it seemed as though she were growing in size.

Legolas focused his eyes past her shoulder. Swallowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tell me what's going on," Tauriel started, but she was interrupted by a voice behind them.

"Legolas."

Thranduil approached them swiftly, looking very alive compared the other Elves who were extremely tired after hours of celebrating. "Where did you go last night?" he asked. "I did not see you at the Feast."

"We destroyed the spider's nest," Legolas told him, "Tauriel and I."

Thranduil's eyes narrowed. "And you are returning just now?"

"I stayed longer to make sure we had not missed anything," Legolas responded, giving Tauriel a pointed look. She stared back at him, grinding her teeth in annoyance and raising an eyebrow.

"I see," Thranduil said, looking unconvinced but keeping silent. He turned to Tauriel instead. "Tauriel, you may leave us."

Tauriel looked reluctantly between him and Legolas, but after a moment of hesitation she gave a quick bow and marched off, sending Legolas a brief but deadly glance that make him involuntarily clear his throat in unease.

The moment Tauriel left, Thranduil quickly faced Legolas. "Legolas, we have a situation," he said in a low voice. "I want you to keep this very quiet until we have found a solution."

"What is it?" Legolas asked, becoming increasingly worried at the tone of his father's voice.

"Walk with me," Thranduil said, motioning his hand towards the inner doors of the Elven Halls.

Thranduil brought Legolas down a series of narrow and twisting corridors, taking them deeper into the heart of the halls, and meanwhile remaining silent the whole time. As they approached the cellars, the King started talking. "Just this morning, barely under an hour ago," he started as they walked down the steps to the cellar, "our Keeper of the Keys found something to be missing."

Legolas saw the Keeper of the Keys standing very stiffly by the barrels, staying silent. "What was it?"

Thranduil turned back to Legolas. "It was the set of dungeon keys. For where the Dwarves are being locked up."

Legolas raised his eyebrows. "The keys are missing?" he said. "Do you have any idea who took them?"

"Not yet," Thranduil said, circling around the room. "Who would have the motives to free the Dwarves but the Dwarves themselves?"

"Are you suggesting that one of the Dwarves somehow snuck out of his cell, stole the keys from the cellar, then locked himself back up?" Legolas asked skeptically. "And, went unnoticed?"

"I don't know what to think of it," Thranduil snapped in defense, facing him sharply. "If it wasn't one of the Dwarves, then whoever the Elf that did this is is facing quite a serious sentence." He circled around the Keeper of the Keys. "Not to mention the punishment one would receive if he were _responsible_ for such letting such treason occur. . ." The Keeper of the Keys flinched.

"We must act quickly," Legolas told his father. "We cannot dwell on who took it, but instead how to make sure the Dwarves do not escape."

"What do you propose?" The King asked.

"Firstly, I believe we should search the Dwarves and their cells. I don't believe any of them could have possibly taken the keys, but it can't hurt to check anyway." Legolas sighed. "Then we search our kin."

* * *

><p>"Get out, Dwarf."<p>

Fili heard the Elf guard speaking to him through the cell bars and saw the door swing open out of the corner of his eye. Something was going on; there were several Elves outside in the corridor, pulling the other Dwarves out of their cells. Fili didn't respond and instead stared blankly at the wall ahead of him. He couldn't be bothered to give a damn, whatever it was.

"Did you not hear me?" the Elf said, his voice raised. "Come now or I'll make you come."

Fili raised his eyebrows, playing with the rock in his hand and choosing not to say anything.

The guard sighed and marched into the cell, grabbed Fili's arm, and hauled him into the corridor. A moment later, Fili was being patted down, his vest and pockets being looked through. He watched the other Dwarves curiously, who were being searched as well, and wondered what the Elves were looking for.

When the guard found nothing, he went into Fili's cell to look around in there. Fili watched from afar with one brow raised, confused and a bit wary, as the Elf looked in the corners, managed to kick up some dust, then left the cell empty-handed. He gave Fili a quick glance before he marched towards another Elf standing at the end of the corridor with his arms crossed.

"My lord Legolas," Fili heard the guard say. "I found nothing."

Legolas looked at Fili, who was still watching him. His eyes narrowed, most likely remembering their last - and only - exchange. Fili held his gaze until the blond Elf looked back to his guard. "Lock the Dwarf back up," he ordered.

The guard did as he was told and put a hand on the back of Fili's neck, steering him ungraciously back into the cell. As the door clanked shut once again, Fili heard the other Dwarves being thrown back into their prisons and the Elves grumbling under their breath as they passed. Whatever it was that the Elves were trying to find, they hadn't had any luck with the Dwarves.

Fili was now extremely curious. He went to the wall and pressed his ear up against the stone. "Dwalin," he called. "What's going on?"

The Dwarf's low voice was muffled and hard to hear. "Not sure," he answered. "Probably some ridiculous routine check of theirs. I wouldn't worry too much, laddie."

Fili knew that wasn't what Dwalin believed, and neither did he. He stepped back from the wall, itching to get out of this cell.

"I think they're looking for something," Fili said to the Dwarf on the other side of the wall.

"Oh my, it seems the Elves have got themselves a crisis," Dwalin said sarcastically. He then snorted. "Whatever it is they're looking for, I hope they never find it."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh dear. Kili I know I've tortured you enough already but . . . hang in there, the worst part is almost over. At least for now :)<strong>

**Meanwhile Leggy is experience awkwardness, Tauriel is a bit upset, Thranduil's kind of a dick, Fili's just not caring (well he's sort of caring), and the keys are missing . . . hmmm I wonder who could have stolen them? Well we all know it couldn't be a Hobbit, could it?**

**I seriously enjoy writing Legolas and Tauriel. I hope you guys like their POV cuz if you don't you're kinda screwed . . . haha jk. Tbh I'm not sure how often I'll write them in the future.**

**Thanks and happy writing!**

**CG**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hola, danke, et benvenuto! I apologize for giving anyone anxiety by not updating in more than a few days. Honestly each chapter takes a different amount of time to write, so if one chapter takes, I dunno, a whole week, then please bear with me. I promise it isn't me bailing out on you again.**

**Here's 7. Still a wicked short chapter *grumbles***

**Reminder that this isn't beta'd, so once again sorry for mistakes.**

**Have fun :)**

* * *

><p>For the second night in a row, Legolas went hunting. However, since there was no <em>Mereth Nuin Giliath<em> - Feast of the Starlight - this time, sneaking out was much more difficult.

He grabbed his bow and knives and stole silently out of the Elven Halls, disappearing into the forest within a matter of minutes. The moon, which was partially hidden by clouds, did not cast much light at all, making the trees seem much more eerie than usual. Although freed from the spiders and their webs, the forest still looked just as sick as it ever did.

Legolas was headed straight to the spot where he had last seen the trail. It was most definitely cold by now, and he had no clue where the Dwarf could be, but he had no other leads at this moment. Sometimes he longed for a partner while hunting the Dwarf - i.e. Tauriel - to help him along and keep him company, but he knew telling anyone would be a big mistake. Especially Tauriel.

Ever since he'd encountered that fair-haired Dwarf on the first day they were captured, although he had brushed it off then, he didn't feel comfortable leaving one stray Dwarf behind in Mirkwood. It was dishonorable, not to mention extremely irresponsible. He'd never admit, not to anyone and not to himself, that he had perhaps felt a flicker of sympathy as well. Not _him._ Not any Elf of his status.

And why had he decided to keep it quiet? He was still asking himself that. Mainly because he did not want to look like he cared for Dwarves, he told himself. Who knew what kind of rumors would spread . . .that would be too embarrassing for him to bear. His paranoia what was caused him to stay silent.

He absently ran back to the place where he had found the trail, snapping back to his senses when he reached his destination. The trail was cold as he'd expected. He followed it nonetheless, making sure to not lose it this time, as it went onward into the forest.

The bootprints were heavy and seemed to drag along the ground, as if one had been extremely tired and rather clumsy. The prints went in mostly a straight line until one point they stopped by a tree.

Legolas examined the tree. Thick, covered in vines, considerably healthy compared to the others in the forest . . . as he looked closer, he noticed something dark and gooey that had pooled and dried on the roots.

Blood. And spider venom.

He reeled from shock, dreadful thoughts whirling in his mind. He touched the blood but didn't dare taste it, knowing it was probably mixed with the venom. It had to be Dwarf blood. He'd been tracking Dwarf prints - and those were _definitely_ a Dwarf's boots - up to this tree and here was a smear of dried blood, so why wouldn't it be the Dwarf's? He realized that it was probably too late for him to retrieve the Dwarf by now. He'd already been poisoned by the spiders and he'd been alone in Mirkwood for almost 48 hours. What chance did any creature have in that situation?

Legolas continued on anyways. He had to see it for himself, with his own eyes, before he could fully believe it.

The trail plodded on for a bit longer, longer than Legolas could imagine anyone would last after taking in so much venom. The blood seemed to appear more frequently as he went on, making his unease increase with every passing second.

Then it stopped again.

It was in a clearing. This time he could see no more distinct prints leading away from it; there were several tracks that looked like either drag marks or someone digging in the dirt, but other than that it was indecipherable. The Dwarf seemed to have stopped here for good. And yet, Legolas saw nobody anywhere.

_Maybe the spiders claimed him,_ Legolas thought, but then ruled that out. He was absolutely certain there were no more of those beasts left in these parts of Mirkwood.

He looked around. The body had to at least be close.

He suddenly had a strange prickling sensation on the back of his neck, like he was being watched. His fingers brushed the tip of his bow and his shoulders tensed.

Then he turned around and let his arrow fly.

* * *

><p>The hallucinations had stopped, but Kili didn't have time to be grateful. For the past day he'd been in agonizing pain as the poison in his body made its way out. He probably would have fallen into a state of unconsciousness if it weren't for the fact that his body had been forcing him to vomit practically every hour - the only way the get the poison of of his system. He'd find a nice tree to rest against, throw up, then crawl over to another tree where he would thrown up some more and the routine would repeat itself.<p>

Around late afternoon on the second day in Mirkwood, the pain gradually declined and he stopped getting sick. It was instead replaced with intense hunger and dehydration, not to mention the fatigue he felt from lack of actual sleep. Although dying at the hands of spiders was gruesome and terrifying, dying from being unable to survive the wilderness itself was just pathetic. He was _not_ going to die like that.

He forced himself to walk around a bit in search of anything that he could eat or drink. Unfortunately, Mirkwood was not that sort of place; the game left in the forest had been hunted down by the spiders, wherever they were, and no edible plants had even grown at all for quite a long time.

He found a few ponds and streams, but most of them were dirty and contaminated with rotting tree limbs and dead animals and many different nasty substances. He eventually came across a small stream in a lighter area of the forest, where there were much less webs and the air didn't seem to weigh on him like a heavy blanket. He stayed at the stream for at least an hour, consuming as much water as he could while taking the opportunity to clean himself off a bit. The dirt and blood on his face, neck, hands, and clothes stuck for the most part, but he felt better after knowing that he at least had had a wash.

After finding water, his body started to feel more energized. However, his stomach still gnawed with emptiness and his hands continued to shake from the lack of food. He might be able to last several days, maybe - a week at the most - without eating, but one week wasn't comforting at all, and the likelihood of surviving in Mirkwood was depressingly slim.

For the hundredth time, Kili thought about his brother and the other Dwarves. Maybe they had run into the Elves. Maybe the Elves had done something to them. He firmly pushed that aside - Thorin would never any Elf harm his Company. Or any Dwarf, for that matter.

He rested for several hours, managing to a few hours of sleep. When he woke up, it was nighttime; the forest was weakly lit by a half-covered moon. The lightheadedness and the shaking had become constant. He was sure he'd never been in any such pain before - yes, he'd been injured in many different fights and this quest had certainly proven to be vicious, but all of it paled in comparison to _this._ Especially since he was alone.

_Snap!_

He froze, his head turning to where the sound had come from. He swore he'd heard something. He imagined it was very likely he could be hallucinating again, but -

_Snap!_ There it was again.

Dreadful thoughts like _spiders_ crowded his mind as he pulled himself to his feet, creeping towards the general direction of the sound. He saw movement up ahead and he sucked in a breath, quickly hiding behind the trunk of a fat tree. He carefully peered out and looked on, trying to get a glimpse of what it was.

It was the blond Elf.

Kili nearly swore aloud, remembering that the Elf had seen him. He should have taken more care to cover up his tracks. He just hadn't thought about it, he had been so weak and tired . . .

The Elf was examining the area, as if he was looking for something. Kili held his breath as the Elf's eyes moved over his hiding place. He knew Elves had extra-sharp senses, and if he was discovered, he wouldn't stand a chance in a fight.

Suddenly the Elf stopped. His back was turned, but Kili could still see that he had tensed, and he was totally still. Kili felt his stomach knot - he must have been discovered. Choosing to go down with a fight, he started to silently pull his sword out of its sheath.

Something flew towards Kili. He jumped as an arrow wedged itself into the bark of the tree he hid behind, missing him by inches.

He swore out loud this time as he stepped back, steadying himself against the tree. The Elf was starting to notch another bow, eyes fixed upon him. Kili had to do something, or he was going to get shot down -

He grabbed the arrow from the tree bark, quickly notching it in his own bow. The Elven arrow wasn't made for the bow, and it felt awkward in Kili's arms, but he ignored that. By the time the Elf had positioned his arrow, Kili already had his up.

"Don't," Kili warned, using his voice for the first time in a while. His bowstring was pulled all the way back.

They were at a stalemate - neither could make a move. The Elf seemed to contemplate the situation. "You cannot shoot an Elven arrow with a Dwarvish bow," he said.

"Try me."

The Elf observed him. "Have you survived out here all this time? I suppose that's admirable."

"Flattered," Kili said sarcastically.

The Elf ignored him. "I'm here to bring you to the Elven Halls," he declared. "Your friends are there as well."

Kili felt blood pounding in his ears. "You captured them?"

"We capture anyone that strays through our forest unchecked," The Elf responded with annoying calmness. "You and your pack of Dwarves should consider yourselves lucky that we found you. You'd be dead by now if it weren't for us."

Kili almost sent the arrow right into the Elf's heart. He almost did. "What have you done to them?" he asked instead, hatred burning in him like fire.

The Elf looked impatient. "If you must know, we're treating them very well. One of them warned me that you were still lurking out here - that you had been left behind."

"I wasn't left behind," Kili growled, voice shaking.

The Elf rolled his eyes. "Enough talk. If you don't come with me now, Dwarf, then I will have no choice but to shoot you."

Kili forced a laugh, but this made him realize that his energy was coming close to fading out completely. Spots danced before his eyes, threatening to pull him into unconsciousness. He stepped back to steady himself.

"Is that a yes, or a no?" he heard the Elf say.

Kili willed himself to stay sharp, and he tried to piece together a sentence. "I'm not going with any Elf," he managed to say.

Then he took another step back, and released the bow string.

The arrow flew straight past the Elf's head, who had barely flinched. Kili turned immediately, adrenaline pumping, and started towards the cover of the trees. He knew another arrow was bound to come any moment now. _Why did I have to miss_? he thought furiously. _Now I will be dead in a few seconds._

The Elf's arrow shot over his head and he covered his head for a moment, then kept running on, disappearing into the thick forest underbrush. The Elf was probably coming after him right now. He could hear him not far behind -

The spots in front of Kili's eyes grew larger, bolder. One more step, he told himself. One more. One more. Just one more -

He was suddenly on his hands and knees, feeling the earth under him. Where was the Elf? Behind him? Right next to him? Gone forever?

Kili fell down all the way to the ground, rolling over so his face was looking up at the sky. Although he couldn't see the sky - just the thick tangle of dead tree limbs and webs. The sun was not shining. No, the moon was out instead. But he couldn't see the moon. Just the rotting, stinking forest above him.

Was he supposed to let himself go? Or was he supposed to keep fighting and stay awake? He supposed it didn't matter, he was going to die either way . . .

In his dim, blurry vision, he saw the silhouette of the Elf standing over him. An Elvish bow and arrow was pointed at him, but it hadn't been shot yet. Why hadn't it been shot yet?

Kili drew in several breaths, desperately trying to grab at the consciousness that was slipping away from him. Then his eyes rolled up in his head and the walls closed in around him for good, trapping him in the dark. The last thing he had seen was the Elf lowering his bow.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh snap! Kili meets Leggy and shots are fired. (Hahaha you might see already that I'm a very punny person.) So we already know that Legolas has a heart, but after meeting Kili for the first time, the two of them might not like each other very much . . . *screams* I honestly can't wait to get this story REALLY started. Baby I'm not even close yet. <strong>

**Hope you likey. Please review. **

**Thanks and happy writing, can't wait to see all my homies next chapter. Hope you're there :)**

**CG**


	8. Chapter 8

**"Previously on Lost and Found Again . . ."**

**Haha I wish it was like a TV show. Anyway, I know it's been like two weeks. I took a writing break because, frankly, the last few weeks have been rather exhausting for me. Mostly school but other stuff as well. But now I'm back in black . . . yeah :)**

**Here's chapter eight. Still short, extremely hard to write, and, once again, not beta'd. Sorry. Hope you enjoy it anyway.**

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><p>Thorin was having a lovely dream. No, <em>lovely<em> was not the right word to describe his sword driving straight through Thranduil's throat. More _satisfying._

"Thorin!"

His dream faded away and his eyes groggily opened, pulling him to his senses. Had someone said his name? He knew it hadn't been in his dream.

Rubbing his face with his hand, he tuned in to his surroundings. Many of the Dwarves were talking uneasily, and there were several people out in the corridor. He slowly stood to his feet and made his way to the cell bars, looking out into the hall.

"Thorin!" the voice said again. It was Balin's. He wasn't sure why Balin was calling to him, or why the other Dwarves were being so loud, and it was concerning him.

Several Elves were standing in the hall, and he could hear more coming. "Balin," he finally responded. "What's going on?"

Balin muttered something, but Thorin didn't hear it. More Elves were approaching, accompanied by the sound of something dragging on the floor.

The Dwarves in the cells closest to the Elves were now shouting, their voices blended together to the point of being indiscernible. Thorin craned his neck to see what the commotion was about.

As the the Elves came towards Thorin's cell, he finally had a look at what they had with them:

It was a Dwarf.

Kili.

Thorin felt his stress and anxiety melt away and he exhaled, allowing himself one brief smile. He wondered how Kili had possibly survived Mirkwood, but then decided to worry about that later. He was alive.

"Kili," he called as the Elves passed his cell, but Kili was unresponsive. Thorin noticed that the Elves were holding him by the arms and his body was limp, feet dragging lifelessly along the ground. What had happened to him? Thorin was now starting to feel concerned again, worried that the Elves might have done something.

The door to the cell next to Thorin's was opened by one of the Elf guards and Thorin heard Kili being dumped inside. He ran to the wall on his left, pressing his ear against the stone. "Kili," he said again. The other Dwarf was still silent, and Thorin could detect no sound of movement from him.

The Elves left quickly, marching down the uneven corridor and out of sight. Thorin still listened for a sign of life in Kili, his mind swirling with unnerving thoughts. Why was Kili unresponsive?

The other Dwarves were shouting with joy, with the exception of one. Thorin could hear Fili's voice over the other Dwarves' from all the way down the hall, calling for Kili in vain.

"Thorin," he heard Balin's voice, with a tone of questioning.

Thorin finally left the wall and went to the cell door. "He's alive," he said. "I think."

"What . . . what do you mean, you _think_?"

"He's not conscious." Thorin leaned against the cell bars and sighed. "That's all I know."

Balin then started to chuckle, making confusion and annoyance stir in Thorin. "What's so funny?" he asked sharply.

Balin was still smiling. "I just can't believe it," he said quietly. "He survived."

Thorin nodded. Kili was unresponsive at the moment, but yes, he had survived.

"How is that possible?" Balin was muttering as Thorin went back to sitting against the wall and listening for signs of life in Kili. "No one faces Mirkwood alone and survives. Of course, I'm glad he did . . . but I'm just curious _how_ he did it."

"So am I," Thorin answered. "Unfortunately there's no way of knowing until Kili wakes up. And for the love of Mahal, I hope he does it soon . . ."

* * *

><p>"I told you so," Dwalin said.<p>

Fili had been stationed at the cell door for the past ten minutes, watching and listening. He was too focused on waiting for a sign that Kili was awake that he hadn't heard the Dwarf. "What?"

"I said I told you so. You doubted Kili, didn't you?"

Fili shook his head, moving to sit in the back of his cell. He hadn't _doubted_ Kili, he'd just . . . he knew that the likelihood of surviving in Mirkwood was practically nonexistent.

The next time he and Kili went to a pub, he owed Kili an ale.

Fili was beyond glad, but it bothered him that Kili had appeared to be unconscious when the Elves had brought him in. Something was wrong. Fili knew he was worrying too much - Kili would have laughed - but he needed to know what was going on.

Fili was startled when a figure appeared outside his cell door. He thought all the Elves had left - apparently all except this one. It was the Elf that Fili had talked to - Legolas something-or-other - peering down at Fili through the iron bars.

Fili didn't know why the Elf had come and he didn't care to find out. He stood up and immediately asked, "What did you do to my brother?"

Legolas shifted. "Excuse me?"

"Why did you bring in my brother half-dead?" Fili yelled.

"The _Dwarf_," Legolas said, "was unconscious when I found him in the forest. He's not dead, although he would have been if it weren't for us."

Fili stayed unblinking. He hated the height difference.

Legolas seemed irritated. "He'd been poisoned, and my people saved his life. If I were you, I'd be thankful."

Anger and hatred warped Fili's reason. He was glad Kili had been saved, but he'd die before returning any sort of favors to the Elves. "I will not thank you for throwing my brother in a prison."

Legolas balled his fist like he was ready to punch Fili's face. "So be it," he said stiffly after a brief moment of silence. "It does not matter." He then added with slight amusement, "Feel free to speak with him all you want." He gestured to Kili's cell, at least twenty feet away.

Fili stayed silent with a deadly glare and fists clenched around the cell bars.

Legolas turned and marched off, his annoyingly-bright blond hair disappearing around a bend. Fili slammed his fist into the bars, making his knuckles sting numbly.

"Damn Elves," he said aloud to Dwalin, who he knew had been listening the whole time.

* * *

><p>Bilbo had been sneaking around the Elven Halls for some time now.<p>

The only time the ring came off his finger was when he was absolutely sure he was alone, but even in those rare moments, he was still paranoid. Elves were stealthy and quiet, so it was nearly impossible to tell when one was about to turn the corner and catch you red-handed. He had grown used to the way the ring affected his surroundings; he was more accustomed now to the light waviness of the air around him than the normal of when the ring was off.

He knew the Dwarves had been in the cells for almost four days. He had gone through the dungeons several times, although he was too afraid to show himself to them. Kili was absent - that had been apparent since day one. That meant Kili was either dead or unable to be saved. Bilbo felt a pang of sadness; Kili was one of his closest friends in the company. The more he thought about it, the more the reality of it weighed on him.

Knowing that saving Kili, if he was even alive, was basically impossible, he had been working on a plan to get them out. Soon, he knew, his chance would come - the guards were becoming more relaxed already, and the shifts were becoming more sparse. The only thing he feared was that he wouldn't form an escape plan fast enough.

Lying under a bench in an empty hallway, Bilbo was enjoying his off-ring time. He'd been straining his mind for some way to smuggle out the Dwarves - he kept coming back to using the front gate, which was out of the question - and the headache that had started out as a dull presence was now a constant pounding. _How do you smuggle thirteen - no, twelve - Dwarves out of an Elven prison?_ he thought. Just the idea of it was ridiculously hopeless. All he had was his ring and his wits, but neither seemed to be helping in the least at the moment.

"I cannot imagine the Dwarves would be willing to waste their lives away in a dungeon all for the sake of a few gems . . ."

Bilbo froze. Someone was coming.

Then, a second voice. "Maybe not . . . who knows with Dwarves."

With a jolt of cold fear in his stomach, Bilbo realized the Elven King - Thranduil - and his son were approaching. They were the last two people he wanted to see.

He quickly slipped on his ring as they passed by, their shoes barely making a sound. He saw their light-colored robes swish around their feet as his eyes adjusted to the ring-edition of his surroundings.

Much to Bilbo's dismay, the two Elves stopped walking and sat down right on the bench over his head. He steadied his breathing in an attempt to calm himself, afraid they might hear him if he panicked.

"That reminds me," the Elven King said. "Word has reached me that you brought in another prisoner."

There was a very brief silence. "I did," the other Elf said. _His name is L__egolas,_ Bilbo remembered.

"Another Dwarf, I heard."

Legolas - Bilbo assumed - shifted in his seat. " I found him alive in the forest."

"Then why was he cared for in the medical wing?"

The only answer he got was silence. Bilbo realized that he had been totally still, hardly even breathing, in his eavesdropping.

"Legolas," Thranduil said, "it is not our business to be _caring_ for the likes of Dwarves."

Bilbo's eyes widened. A Dwarf had been found left in Mirkwood? That could only mean it was . . .

They had found Kili.

"So you would rather have a stray Dwarf - armed, I might add - wandering around our forest?" Legolas retorted defensively. "I believe taking him in was the right thing to do."

Thranduil stood up. "No Dwarf could ever survive Mirkwood. You should have left him there to die."

Bilbo winced, but he was barely even listening anymore. Kili was alive. They had brought him to the Elven Halls.

_Why?_ he wondered for a moment, then brushed it away. _Why_ didn't matter, as long as Kili was alive and well.

Bilbo blinked, then sucked in a breath. He was no longer in the light, wavy world of the ring anymore - his surroundings had returned back to normal. Forgetting about everything, he checked his finger in panic.

The ring was no longer on his hand.

Glancing over, he saw the ring about three feet away from him, sitting out in the open next to the Elven King's feet.

Terror crowded his mind, making him lightheaded.

"What's this?" Thranduil said suddenly, reaching down. Bilbo felt his vision become blurred.

The Elf picked up the ring in his fingers. Bilbo closed his eyes, willing himself not to panic, but he was unsuccessful.

"Is that what I think it is?" Legolas breathed.

Thranduil responded after a moment. "Legolas, I believe this is the Ring of Power."

* * *

><p><strong>OH<strong>

**SNAP.**

**Yup so Kili's safe. And then one moment Leggy and Thranduil are chilling on a bench with Bilbo eavesdropping, and the next -**

**THRANDUIL'S GOT THE RING OF POWER.**

**NOT GOOD.**


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